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Francisco S. N. Lobo

Publications and source records attributed to Francisco S. N. Lobo.

At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources
arXiv2018

Coupling matter in modified $Q$-gravity

We present a novel theory of gravity by considering an extension of symmetric teleparallel gravity. This is done by introducing, in the framework of the metric-affine formalism, a new class of theories where the nonmetricity $Q$ is nonminimally coupled to the matter Lagrangian. More specifically, we consider a Lagrangian of the form $L \sim f_1(Q) + f_2(Q) L_M$, where $f_1$ and $f_2$ are generic functions of $Q$, and $L_M$ is the matter Lagrangian. This nonminimal coupling entails the nonconservation of the energy-momentum tensor, and consequently the appearance of an extra force. The motivation is to verify whether the subtle improvement of the geometrical formulation, when implemented in the matter sector, would allow more universally consistent and viable realisations of the nonminimal curvature-matter coupling theories. Furthermore, we consider several cosmological applications by presenting the evolution equations and imposing specific functional forms of the functions $f_1(Q)$ and $f_2(Q)$, such as power-law and exponential dependencies of the nonminimal couplings. Cosmological solutions are considered in two general classes of models, and found to feature accelerating expansion at late times.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2018

Metric-affine f(R,T) theories of gravity and their applications

We study f(R,T) theories of gravity, where T is the trace of the energy-momentum tensor T_{μν}, with independent metric and affine connection (metric-affine theories). We find that the resulting field equations share a close resemblance with their metric-affine f(R) relatives once an effective energy-momentum tensor is introduced. As a result, the metric field equations are second-order and no new propagating degrees of freedom arise as compared to GR, which contrasts with the metric formulation of these theories, where a dynamical scalar degree of freedom is present. Analogously to its metric counterpart, the field equations impose the non-conservation of the energy-momentum tensor, which implies non-geodesic motion and consequently leads to the appearance of an extra force. The weak field limit leads to a modified Poisson equation formally identical to that found in Eddington-inspired Born-Infeld gravity. Furthermore, the coupling of these gravity theories to perfect fluids, electromagnetic, and scalar fields, and their potential applications are discussed.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2018

Gravitational waves in theories with a non-minimal curvature-matter coupling

Gravitational waves in the presence of a non-minimal curvature-matter coupling are analysed, both in the Newman-Penrose and perturbation theory formalisms. Considering a cosmological constant as a source, the non-minimally coupled matter-curvature model reduces to $f(R)$ theories. This is in good agreement with the most recent data. Furthermore, a dark energy-like fluid is briefly considered, where the propagation equation for the tensor modes differs from the previous scenario, in that the scalar mode equation has an extra term, which can be interpreted as the longitudinal mode being the result of the mixture of two fundamental excitations $δR$ and $δρ$.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2017

Palatini wormholes and energy conditions from the prism of General Relativity

Wormholes are hypothetical shortcuts in spacetime that in General Relativity unavoidably violate all of the pointwise energy conditions. In this paper, we consider several wormhole spacetimes that, as opposed to the standard \emph{designer} procedure frequently employed in the literature, arise directly from gravitational actions including additional terms resulting from contractions of the Ricci tensor with the metric, and which are formulated assuming independence between metric and connection (Palatini approach). We reinterpret such wormhole solutions under the prism of General Relativity and study the matter sources that thread them. We discuss the size of violation of the energy conditions in different cases, and how this is related to the same spacetimes when viewed from the modified gravity side.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2017

Cosmological solutions in generalized hybrid metric-Palatini gravity

We construct exact solutions representing a Friedmann-Lemaître-Robsertson-Walker (FLRW) universe in a generalized hybrid metric-Palatini theory. By writing the gravitational action in a scalar-tensor representation, the new solutions are obtained by either making an ansatz on the scale factor or on the effective potential. Among other relevant results, we show that it is possible to obtain exponentially expanding solutions for flat universes even when the cosmology is not purely vacuum. We then derive the classes of actions for the original theory which generate these solutions.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2017

Electrodynamics and spacetime geometry: Astrophysical applications

After a brief review of the foundations of (pre-metric) electromagnetism, we explore some physical consequences of electrodynamics in curved spacetime. In general, new electromagnetic couplings and related phenomena are induced by the spacetime curvature. The applications of astrophysical interest considered here correspond essentially to the following geometries: the Schwarzschild spacetime and the spacetime around a rotating spherical mass in the weak field and slow rotation regime. In the latter, we use the Parameterised Post-Newtonian (PPN) formalism. We also explore the hypothesis that the electric and magnetic properties of vacuum reflect the spacetime isometries. Therefore, the permittivity and permeability tensors should not be considered homogeneous and isotropic a priori. For spherical geometries we consider the effect of relaxing the homogeneity assumption in the constitutive relations between the fields and excitations. This affects the generalized Gauss and Maxwell-Ampère laws where the electric permittivity and magnetic permeability in vacuum depend on the radial coordinate in accordance with the local isometries of space. For the axially symmetric geometries we relax both the assumptions of homogeneity and isotropy. We explore simple solutions and discuss the physical implications related to different phenomena such as: the decay of electromagnetic fields in the presence of gravity, magnetic terms in Gauss law due to the gravitomagnetism of the spacetime around rotating objects, a frame-dragging effect on electric fields and the possibility of a spatial (radial) variability of the velocity of light in vacuum around spherical astrophysical objects for strong gravitational fields.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2017

Crossing SNe Ia and BAO observational constraints with local ones in hybrid metric-Palatini gravity

In this paper, we consider the recently proposed hybrid metric-Palatini gravitational theory, which consists of adding to the Einstein-Hilbert Lagrangian an $f(\mathcal{R})$ term constructed à la Palatini. Using the respective dynamically equivalent scalar-tensor representation, we explore the cosmological evolution of a specific model, given by $f(\mathcal{R}) \propto \mathcal{R}^2$, and obtain constraints on the free parameters by using different sources of cosmological data. The viability of the model is analysed by combining the conditions imposed by the Supernovae Ia and Baryonic Acoustic Oscillations data and the results are compared with the local constraints.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2017

A Review on the Cosmology of the de Sitter Horndeski Models

We review the most general scalar-tensor cosmological models with up to second-order derivatives in the field equations that have a fixed spatially flat de Sitter critical point independent of the material content or vacuum energy. This subclass of the Horndeski Lagrangian is capable of dynamically adjusting any value of the vacuum energy of the matter fields at the critical point. We present the cosmological evolution of the linear models and the non-linear models with shift symmetry. We come to the conclusion that the shift symmetric non-linear models can deliver a viable background compatible with current observations.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2017

Evolution of spherical domain walls in solitonic symmetron models

In this work, inspired by the symmetron model, we analyse the evolution of spherical domain walls by considering specific potentials that ensure symmetry breaking and the occurrence of degenerate vacua that are necessary for the formation of domain walls. By considering a simple analytical model of spherical domain wall collapse in vacuum, it is shown that this model fits the more accurate numerical results very well until full collapse, after which oscillations and scalar radiation take place. Furthermore, we explore the effect of a central non-relativistic matter lump on the evolution of a spherical domain wall and show that the central lump can prevent the full collapse and annihilation of the domain wall bubble, due to the repulsion between the domain wall and matter over-density within the adopted symmetron inspired model.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2017

Gravitational waves and electrodynamics: New perspectives

Given the recent direct measurement of gravitational waves (GWs) by the LIGO-VIRGO collab- oration, the coupling between electromagnetic fields and gravity have a special relevance since it opens new perspectives for future GW detectors and also potentially provides information on the physics of highly energetic GW sources. We explore such couplings using the field equations of electrodynamics on (pseudo) Riemann manifolds and apply it to the background of a GW, seen as a linear perturbation of Minkowski geometry. Electric and magnetic oscillations are induced that propagate as electromagnetic waves and contain information about the GW which generates them. The most relevant results are the presence of longitudinal modes and dynamical polarization patterns of electromagnetic radiation induced by GWs. These effects might be amplified using appropriate resonators, effectively improving the signal to noise ratio around a specific frequency. We also briefly address the generation of charge density fluctuations induced by GWs and the implications for astrophysics.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2017

Cosmological models in modified gravity theories with extended nonminimal derivative couplings

We construct gravitational modifications that go beyond Horndeski, namely theories with extended nonminimal derivative couplings, in which the coefficient functions depend not only on the scalar field but also on its kinetic energy. Such theories prove to be ghost-free in a cosmological background. We investigate the early-time cosmology and show that a de Sitter inflationary phase can be realized as a pure result of the novel gravitational couplings. Additionally, we study the late-time evolution, where we obtain an effective dark energy sector which arises from the scalar field and its extended couplings to gravity. We extract various cosmological observables and analyse their behavior at small redshifts for three choices of potentials, namely, for the exponential, the power-law, and the Higgs potential. We show that the Universe passes from deceleration to acceleration in the recent cosmological past, while the effective dark-energy equation-of-state parameter tends to the cosmological-constant value at present. Finally, the effective dark energy can be phantom-like, although the scalar field is canonical, which is an advantage of the model.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2017

Hybrid metric-Palatini stars

We consider the internal structure and the physical properties of specific classes of neutron, quark and Bose-Einstein Condensate stars in the hybrid metric-Palatini gravity theory, which is a combination of the metric and Palatini $f(R)$ formalisms. The theory is very successful in accounting for the observed phenomenology, since it unifies local constraints at the Solar System level and the late-time cosmic acceleration, even if the scalar field is very light. We derive the equilibrium equations for a spherically symmetric configuration (mass continuity and Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff) in the framework of hybrid metric-Palatini theory, and we investigate their solutions numerically for different equations of state of neutron and quark matter, by adopting for the scalar field potential a Higgs-type form. Stellar models, described by the stiff fluid, radiation-like, the bag model and the Bose-Einstein Condensate equations of state are explicitly constructed in both General Relativity and hybrid metric-Palatini gravity, thus allowing an in depth comparison between the predictions of these two gravitational theories. As a general result it turns out that for all the considered equations of state, hybrid metric-Palatini gravity stars are more massive than their general relativistic counterparts. Furthermore, two classes of stellar models corresponding to fixed forms of the scalar field are also investigated. Interestingly enough, in the case of a constant scalar field the equation of state of the matter takes the form of the bag model equation of state describing quark matter. As a possible astrophysical application of the obtained results we suggest that stellar mass black holes, with masses in the range of $3.8M_{\odot}$ and $6M_{\odot}$, respectively, could be in fact hybrid metric-Palatini gravity neutron or quark stars.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2016

Unveiling the Dynamics of the Universe

We explore the dynamics and evolution of the Universe at early and late times, focusing on both dark energy and extended gravity models and their astrophysical and cosmological consequences. Modified theories of gravity not only provide an alternative explanation for the recent expansion history of the universe, but they also offer a paradigm fundamentally distinct from the simplest dark energy models of cosmic acceleration. In this review, we perform a detailed theoretical and phenomenological analysis of different modified gravity models and investigate their consistency. We also consider the cosmological implications of well motivated physical models of the early universe with a particular emphasis on inflation and topological defects. Astrophysical and cosmological tests over a wide range of scales, from the solar system to the observable horizon, severely restrict the allowed models of the Universe. Here, we review several observational probes -- including gravitational lensing, galaxy clusters, cosmic microwave background temperature and polarization, supernova and baryon acoustic oscillations measurements -- and their relevance in constraining our cosmological description of the Universe.

astro-ph.CO↗
arXiv2016

Constraining $f(T, \mathcal{T})$ gravity models using type Ia supernovae

We present an analysis of an $f(T, \mathcal{T})$ extension of the Teleparallel Equivalent of General Relativity, where $T$ denotes the torsion and $\mathcal{T}$ the trace of the energy-momentum tensor. This extension includes non--minimal couplings between torsion and matter. In particular, we construct two specific models that recover the usual continuity equation, namely, $f(T, \mathcal{T})=T+g(\mathcal{T})$ and $f(T, \mathcal{T})=T\times g(\mathcal{T})$. We then constrain the parameters of each model by fitting the predicted distance modulus to that measured from type Ia supernovae, and find that both models can reproduce the late--time cosmic acceleration. We also observe that one of the models satisfies well the observational constraints and yields a goodness--of--fit similar to the $Λ$CDM model, thus demonstrating that $f(T,\mathcal{T})$ gravity theory encompasses viable models that can be an alternative to $Λ$CDM.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2016

Cosmology with higher-derivative matter fields

We investigate the cosmological implications of a new class of modified gravity, where the field equations generically include higher-order derivatives of the matter fields, arising from the introduction of non-dynamical auxiliary fields in the action. Imposing a flat, homogeneous and isotropic geometry we extract the Friedmann equations, obtaining an effective dark-energy sector containing higher derivatives of the matter energy density and pressure. For the cases of dust, radiation, and stiff matter we analyze the cosmological behavior, finding accelerating, de Sitter, and non-accelerating phases, dominated by matter or dark energy. Additionally, the effective dark-energy equation-of-state parameter can be quintessence-like, cosmological-constant-like, or even phantom-like. The detailed study of these scenarios may provide signatures that could distinguish them from other candidates of modified gravity.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2016

Soliton models for thick branes

In this work, we present new soliton solutions for thick branes in $4+1$ dimensions. In particular, we consider brane models based on the sine-Gordon ($SG$), $φ^{4}$ and $φ^{6}$ scalar fields, which have broken $Z_{2}$ symmetry in some cases, and are responsible for supporting and stabilizing the thick branes. The origin of the symmetry breaking in these models resides in the fact that the modified scalar field potential may have non-degenerate vacuua. These vacuua determine the cosmological constant on both sides of the brane. We also study the geodesic equations along the fifth dimension, in order to explore the particle motion in the neighbourhood of the brane. Furthermore, we examine the stability of the thick branes, by determining the sign of the $w^2$ term in the expansion of the potential for the resulting Schrodinger-like equation, where $w$ is the 5-dimensional coordinate. It turns out that the $φ^4$ brane is stable, while there are unstable modes for certain ranges of the model parameters in the SG and $φ^6$ branes.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2016

Novel third-order Lovelock wormhole solutions

In this work, we consider wormhole geometries in third-order Lovelock gravity and investigate the possibility that these solutions satisfy the energy conditions. In this framework, by applying a specific equation of state, we obtain exact wormhole solutions, and by imposing suitable values for the parameters of the theory, we find that these geometries satisfy the weak energy condition in the vicinity of the throat, due to the presence of higher order curvature terms. Finally, we trace out a numerical analysis, by assuming a specific redshift function, and find asymptotically flat solutions that satisfy the weak energy condition throughout the spacetime.

gr-qc↗